St. Lucia signs two agreements with France to fight agaisnt crime

Two agreements which will assist in combating crime and extraditing criminals have been signed between the governments of St. Lucia and France.

The Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and the Extradition Convention are expected to come into force on December 1.

The French Parliament passed the law authorising approval of the agreements and the Council of Ministers consequently approved them.

The instruments of approval provided for by Article 25 of both conventions were signed Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs.

During a ceremony of exchange of the French and St Lucian Instruments of Approval here Thursday, Philippe Ardanaz, Ambassador of France to the OECS Member States and Barbados, handed over the instruments to Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, St.Lucia’s Minister in the Department of External Affairs.

The Minister then handed over the diplomatic notes confirming the approval of the two agreements by the Saint Lucian government.

Flood told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that the signing of the agreements is a milestone for France and Saint Lucia, which have enjoyed diplomatic relations from 1980, and have already concluded a cooperation agreement and a visa waiver agreement.

“These new agreements will assist in combatting crime and extraditing criminals,” she noted adding that in the past, St Lucia has used the facility of warrants to deal with mutual legal assistance matters. “But this is the first time that an extradition agreement is signed,” she said.